Activists welcome 'green bylaw'
Activists welcome 'green bylaw'
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Most clean air campaigns in Jakarta and other cities across the
country focus on how to reduce vehicular emissions that are a
major contributor to the hazardous pollutants that foul the air
in urban areas.
Several non-governmental organizations, therefore, called on
the City Council, which is currently deliberating a draft bylaw
on air pollution control, to strengthen the draft with articles
that are more applicable to reducing vehicular emissions.
Paul Butarbutar, a Swisscontact senior officer for the Clean
Air Project, said on Monday a big city like Jakarta needed a
strong legal basis to require all motorists to abide by
regulations on emission standards.
"We welcome the deliberation of the draft bylaw on air
pollution control. But we hope that it will become a strong arm
for the administration to force motorists to abide by emission
standards," he said.
Vehicular emissions are a serious problem in the city because
there are no proper mechanisms for curbing the emissions.
Private vehicles, which account for nearly 90 percent of the
about 4.7 million vehicles in the city, are not required to
undergo emission tests.
Cargo vehicles and public transportation vehicles are required
to undergo emission tests, but many owners of public
transportation vehicles say they can obtain emission certificates
without taking the test if they bribe the right officials.
Given this, environmental experts say it is not surprising
that about 70 percent of the hazardous substances in Jakarta's
air comes from vehicular emissions.
Previously, the head of the City Environment Management Body
(BPLHD), Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, said if the draft was passed it
would be the only legal basis for the city to force private car
owners to abide by emission standards.
He said the Jakarta governor issued Gubernatorial Decree No.
1041/2000 on standards for vehicular emissions, but this decree
did not have the teeth to force motorists to abide by the
standards.
Ahmad Syafrudin of the Committee for Phasing out Leaded
Gasoline (KPBB) said the draft bylaw submitted to the City
Council did not spell out clear mechanisms on how motorists
should abide by the standards.
"The draft requires motorists to abide by the emission
standards but it does not say how," he told The Jakarta Post on
Monday.
He said councillors should add articles to the draft bylaw
requiring motorists to take their vehicles into certified repair
shops for emission tests.
Ahmad said such repair shops would issue emission certificates
that motorists would have to produce to re-register their
vehicles.
"If there was such a requirement, after its approval the bylaw
could be immediately applied by the administration to force
motorists to abide by emission standards as stipulated in
Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000," he said.
Health problems caused by air pollution include cancer,
tuberculosis, retarded intellectual development among children,
low fertility, headaches and respiratory problems.
Emission standards based on Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000
1. Carburetor system
Year of Production CO % HA (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------
< 1985 4.0 1,000
1986 - 1995 3.5 800
--------------------------------------------------------------
2. Injection system
Year of Production CO % HC (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1986 - 1995 3.0 600
--------------------------------------------------------------
3. Vehicles with diesel fuel
Year of Production Opacity
-----------------------------------------
< 1985 50 %
1986 - 1995 45 %
-----------------------------------------
Notes:
CO: Carbon monoxide
HC: Hydrocarbon
ppm: parts per million